South Park’s Future at Risk: Streaming Wars and Lawsuits Delay Season 27
South Park’s Future in Doubt Amid Streaming Wars and Lawsuits
South Park is facing a major shake-up as its 27th season gets delayed and streaming rights become a tangled mess. The popular animated series, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, is caught in a legal and business battle that could jeopardize its future availability, especially in international markets.
- Season 27 delayed due to licensing and streaming disputes
- Warner Bros. Discovery sued Paramount Global over exclusive streaming rights
- Upcoming merger with Skydance Media complicates future deals
- Temporary extension keeps South Park on HBO Max for now
- International fans losing access as Paramount Plus pulls the show in some regions
What’s Happening Behind the Scenes?
The trouble started back in 2019 when Stone and Parker’s 50/50 ad-sharing deal with Comedy Central ended. They quickly signed a five-year, $500 million streaming deal with WarnerMedia (now Warner Bros. Discovery) to stream all South Park seasons exclusively on HBO Max from June 2020 to mid-2025. Then, in 2021, they inked a massive $900 million deal with ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global) for six more seasons and 14 specials, which would stream on Paramount Plus and cover international markets.
However, things got complicated when Warner Bros. Discovery sued Paramount in 2023, accusing it of airing new episodes after Warner had exclusive rights. The dispute centered around two “Pandemic specials” released during COVID-19 delays. While these were not regular episodes, Paramount aired them first on Comedy Central, which Warner took issue with. More details on the lawsuit can be found here.
Big Merger, Big Problems
The plot thickens as Skydance Media, led by David Ellison, is set to acquire Paramount Global. This merger introduces uncertainty because Skydance reportedly prefers a shorter, five-year deal instead of the planned 10-year, $3 billion contract. This disagreement has created a stalemate between the creators and the future owners.
With the Warner Bros. Discovery deal expiring in June 2025, a fierce bidding war is underway involving Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, Paramount/Skydance, and others. Stone and Parker have even accused Paramount of interfering with negotiations with rival streamers. Both Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly submitted offers to host the show.
What Does This Mean for Fans?
Stone and Parker managed to secure a temporary extension with Warner Bros. Discovery, keeping South Park on HBO Max for now. However, a separate international licensing dispute has led to the show’s removal from Paramount Plus in several countries, including Canada, Australia, France, and Germany. This has forced Paramount to delay the season 27 premiere from July 9 to July 23, since the new episodes wouldn’t be available in key markets.
As the creators put it bluntly on social media: “This merger is a shitshow and it’s fucking up South Park,” they wrote on July 2. “We are at the studio working on new episodes and we hope the fans get to see them somehow.”
Once the temporary deal ends, watching South Park in the US could become a challenge. If no new distribution deal is reached before 2027, future seasons may face indefinite delays, and international fans could lose access entirely.
